G.I. Joe’s Crossover With A $600 Million Franchise Is Here, And It’s Officially A Best-Seller

Skybound Entertainment has scored a huge win with its latest crossover between two classic franchises. Another iconic pop culture figure has just been formally introduced to the world of G.I. Joe, and she’s already proven to be a perfect fit. So much so that their first team-up ever has become an immediate success.

The G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider comic crossover series is slated to run for four issues. The first chapter was released earlier this month, and it is already a certified sellout, leading publisher Skybound to announce a second printing.

With the second issue only a week away, things are just heating up on the page for Laura and the Joes, but the fan response to the debut makes it clear the crossover is already cooking.

Lara Croft’s Introduction To The G.I. Joe Universe Is A Major Hit

Second Printing Cover By Annie Wu; Available December 2, 2026

If the G.I. Joe x Tomb Raider crossover wasn’t on your radar, it should be now. Here is Skybound’s synopsis for the first issue:

KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE. RAIDING IS THE OTHER HALF!

G.I. JOE and LARA CROFT meet for THE FIRST TIME EVER in an all-new limited series from superstars KYLE HIGGINS (RADIANT BLACK) and ELENA CASAGRANDE (Black Widow) that reveals the classified connection between these pop culture icons. Lara Croft has explored some of the most dangerous locations on Earth, but nothing as treacherous as Cobra Island. For this adventure, she’ll need the help of her old acquaintance, Shipwreck, and several squads of Joes to mount a dangerous expedition into the heart of the island to recover a treasure that’s been hidden there for decades. One that Destro and Baroness will do anything to get their hands on first…

Lara Croft celebrated her 30th anniversary as a video game hero this year, and so it is fitting that she’s closing out the year in one of the most hyped crossovers of 2026. (And that’s saying something in a year when Captain America fought Xenomorphs, to name just one other notable comic crossover.) Without spoiling much, the takeaway from the first issue is how seamlessly she fits into G.I. Joe lore.

That might not necessarily be surprising, but it is satisfying. Tomb Raider is an action-adventure series, and its protagonist knows how to handle herself as well as any member of the Joes. When G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider #1 establishes that she has friends among the organization, namely Shipwreck, it immediately situates her as a player in the world of the franchise. Based on how this crossover goes, fans could easily see Lara Croft joining the team for further missions. And given how it is going so far, that seems even more likely.

G.I. Joe X Tomb Raider’s Success Could Be The Start Of Something Big For Lara Croft

Skybound Entertainment is currently the stewards of two co-existing G.I. Joe canons. In addition to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, which continues the franchise’s original comic continuity (and numbering), the Joes are also part of the Energon Universe, along with the Transformers. With their new best-selling crossover, Lara Croft is joining the Real American Hero canon. That said, the appearance of some version of the character in the Energon Universe could be in the cards in the future.

In other words, fans should add “Lara Croft fighting alongside the Autobots” to the list of things they never realized they wanted until now. For the time being, readers will have to make due with Croft fighting alongside the original incarnations of the G.I. Joes, and going head-to-head with the classic versions of franchise villains Baroness and Destro.

With the clock winding down on 2026, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider just became a late-in-the-game must-read series of the year. It is the latest exciting development for Skybound Entertainment’s G.I. Joe wing of their IP collection, and it could be the start of a killer new era for Lara Croft in comic form.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider #1 is available now from Skybound Entertainment.

First TV Show

Revisioned: Tomb Raider

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Toby Gard